Introduction

Staffing is one of the most important issues in the delivery of health care. It is widely recognized that there is a
crisis in nursing. In a survey performed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 2001, 7000 nurses reported
compromise in the care of patients because of lack of qualified staff. Up to 20% of nurses are expected to leave the field
within 5 years (Roussel 2006). Staffing and scheduling is an important responsibility of the nurse manager. The higher
the proportion of registered nurses with more hours of care provided by them results in higher quality care, according to
a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Needleman et al. 2002). Another study demonstrated that the
number of baccalaureate prepared nurses affected surgical patient mortality (Aiken, et., al 2003) found that adequate
staffing levels positively affected patient outcomes.

9.1 Definition of Staffing

 Staffing is to provide the appropriate numbers and mix of nursing staff (nursing care hours) to match actual
projected patient care needs (Patient care hours) that will lead to the delivery of effective and efficient nursing care
(Sullivan 2005).
 In staffing, the leader-manager recruits, selects, places, and indoctrinates personnel to accomplish the goals of the
organization (Marquis & Huston 2009).

9.2.2 Interviewing as a selection tool

Interview (definition)

The most common selection method, the interview, is an information-seeking mechanism between an individual
applying for a position and a member of an organization doing the hiring. The interview is used to clarify information
gathered from the application form, evaluate the applicant’s responses to questions, and determine the fit of the
applicant of the position, unit, and organization (Sullivan, 2005).

Principles for effective interviewing (Sullivan, 2005)

 Developing Structured Interview Guides

Unstructured interview presents problems; if the interviewer fails to ask the same questions to every candidate;
it is often difficult to compare them. The interview is most effective when the information on the pool of interviewees is
as comparable as possible. Comparability is maximized via a structured interview supported by an interview guide which
is a written document containing questions, interviewer directions, and other pertinent information so that the same
process is followed and the same basic information is gathered from each applicant. Interview guides also reduces
interviewer bias, provide relevant and effective questions, minimize leading questions, and facilitate comparison among
applicants.

 Preparing for the Interview

Interviews should be planned just like any business undertakings. All needed materials should be on hand, and
the interview site should be quite and pleasant. Lack of advance preparation may lead to insufficient interviewing time,
interruptions and or failure to gather important information.
Prior to an interview, the interviewer should review job requirements, the application and résumé, and note
specific questions to be asked.
To provide a relaxed, informal atmosphere, the setting is important. Both you and the applicant should be in
comfortable chairs. No table or desk should separate you. If an office is used, arrange the chairs so that the applicant is
at the side of the desk. There should be complete freedom from distracting phone calls and other interruptions. If the
view is distracting do not seat the applicant so that she or he can look out a window.
  Opening the Interview

The interview should start on time. Give a warm, friendly greeting, introduce yourself, and ask the applicant her
or his preferred name. Try to minimize status, do not patronized or dominate. The objective is to establish an open
atmosphere so applicants reveal as much as possible about themselves. Establish and maintain rapport throughout the
interview such as discussing mutual interests and maintaining eye contact. Finally start the interview by outlining what
will be discussed and setting the time limits for the interview.
Using the structured interview guide, take notes, telling the candidate that this is being done to aid recall and
that you hope that the candidate does not mind. There are various ways of asking questions, but only one question
should be asked at a time and, where possible, open-ended questions should be used.

 Work sample questions

Are used to determine an applicant’s knowledge about the work tasks and ability to perform the job. An answer
of yes does not necessarily prove the ability to perform the job, so question should be very specific. Avoid leading
questions, in which the answer is implied by the question (e.g. “We have lots of overtime, do you mined overtime?”)

 Giving Information

Before reaching to the information-giving part of the interview, consider whether the candidate is promising
enough to warrant spending time in giving detailed job information. Unless the client is clearly unacceptable be careful
not to communicate negative impressions. You should also know what information you should give and what is to be
provided by others, for example detailed benefit or compensation questions are usually answered by HRM.

 Closing the Interview

In closing the interview, you may want to summarize the applicant’s strengths. Make sure to ask the applicant
whether she or he has anything to add or questions to ask related to the job and the organization. You may also want to
mention the candidate’s weaknesses, particularly if they are objective and clearly related to the job, such as lack of
experience in a particular field. Thanking the applicant and completing any notes made during the interview conclude the
interview process.

References:

Sullivan, Eleanor and Decker (2005). Effective leadership and management in nursing (6 th Ed) Pearson
Education, Inc. New Jersey.

Roussel, Linda, et. al.(2006) Nursing management and leadership (4 th Ed). Jones and Bartlett Publishers,
Boston.

Huston, C. & Marquis, B. (2009). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: nursing and
application (6th Ed.) Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia.